Hamas officials in Damascus are studying the latest Egyptian ceasefire proposals after Cairo gave up on it demand for an answer by Wednesday. Hamas officials said they need clarifications and doubt that they will respond by Thursday on the initiative for a genuine ceasefire that would last at least a year.

"There is still much Israeli intransigence ... so I don't believe there will be the start of a truce tomorrow [Thursday], Hamas official Abu Marzouk told the Arabic language Al Jazeera network." There are not enough guarantees for opening the crossing points and there are ambiguous expressions which need to be clarified."